PERFUMES

AVAILABLE TO WATCH IN THE U.S.: Wednesday, October 21 @8am PST → Monday, October 26 @8am PST
Paired with the short film NOT A WORD.
Rent PERFUMES + Not a Word!
Rent the MiniFest PASS

Join our Zoom Discussion with Grégory Magne, director of Perfumes • Saturday, October 24 @ noon PST.
Please RSVP to kelstob@csus.edu to receive the Zoom invitations.

In this quintessentially French, and very chic, comedy-drama full of laughs and emotion, a struggling chauffeur lands a driving job with a famous fragrance designer who acts like a diva.

The film stars a pair of endearing actors: Grégory Montel, from the acclaimed TV show Call My Agent – available on Netflix (the show also stars Laure Calamy, My Donkey, My Lover & I – playing this year at the MiniFest) and one of our favorite French actresses, Emmanuelle Devos (Number One – SFFF 2018, The Chef’s Wife – SFFF 2014)

Montel is Guillaume, a divorced, middle-aged Parisian chauffeur, striving to make enough money to upgrade to a better apartment so he can share custody of his young daughter Léa (Zelie Rixhon). Guillaume can’t afford to lose his job but he has difficulties enduring the entitlement and arrogance of his latest client, a celebrity “nose” (perfume designer), Anne Walberg (Devos) , especially as she expects him to not only drive her around and carry her luggage, but also act as an unpaid personal assistant. Their first encounter is a disaster, but as in all good “odd couple” movies, maybe they can learn from each other?…

We follow the mismatched pair wherever Walberg’s work takes them, introducing Guillaume, and the audience, to the world of the “smell business,” a multibillion-dollar industry that goes beyond designing high-end perfumes. Whether it is a museum wanting to recreate the smell of a prehistorical cave, a leather good company needing to disguise the bad smell on their expensive bags, or a factory wanting to hide the stench of its emissions, Anne Walberg can help.

Also starring Gustave Kervern (FishLove – SFFF 2020) in a fun supporting role as Guillaume’s shady boss who operates his business from the back of a Chinese restaurant. With music by French singer Gaëtan Roussel.

A hugely enjoyable watch!

Not Rated (all audiences).

Original title: Les Parfums

Reviews

Grégory Magne’s French comedy-drama is quietly delightful. Ed Potton – Times (UK)

Grégory Magne’s Perfumes is a charming, unconventional, odd-couple buddy movie of sorts. Matthew Anderson – CineVue

Admirably refreshing French Comedy Drama. Leslie Felperin – The Guardian